The stepmother of a 5-year-old child who went missing in 2019 has been charged with welfare fraud for claiming food stamps in her name, according to the New Hampshire attorney general's office.
Kayla Montgomery, 31, of Manchester, has been charged with one count of welfare fraud for allegedly getting $1,500 in food stamps for Harmony Montgomery while she was not living with Kayla and her husband, Adam Montgomery, from December 2019 to June 2021.
The missing girl's dad was given custody of her despite violence, drugs record
In Hillsborough County Superior Court, Kayla Montgomery entered a not guilty plea. Her attorney requested her release on her own recognizance, as per ABC News. The court granted a prosecutor's plea for $5,000 bail and ordered Montgomery, who has a minor criminal record, to report to Manchester police every day.
Adam Montgomery, 31, was charged with a number of offenses on Wednesday, including failing to keep Harmony in his control. On his part, his counsel submitted not guilty pleas. He has been imprisoned without the possibility of being released on bail.
Kayla Montgomery, who has three children with her husband, ages 4, 2, and 1, claimed she last saw Harmony in November or December 2019 in her interview with police on New Year's Eve. Harmony was being driven to the child's mother in Massachusetts, she added. According to the police report, she stated that she assumed Harmony had been returned to her mother and that she had not seen or heard from her since that day.
Harmony Montgomery's father has been accused of being a "sweet-talking" liar by his mother-in-law. Montgomery was arrested on a felony assault charge after the family told authorities he once gave the little girl a black eye, but he has not been prosecuted in connection with her mysterious disappearance.
His former wife Kayla Montgomery, who has three children with him but is not Harmony's mother, was arrested on Wednesday night for claiming $1,500 in food stamps in Harmony's name from December 2019 to June 2021.
Christina Lubin, 51, confessed Kayla had a history of dishonesty during her daughter's arraignment on Thursday morning but argued she had nothing to do with Harmony's abduction.
Adam Montgomery, her estranged son-in-law and a career criminal with a history of violence and drugs, was singled out for suspicion. Lubin requested a restraining order against Montgomery last year, according to court records obtained by DailyMail.com.
She said she spoke with cops many times this week and gave them potentially fresh information, but she didn't go into detail. After her son-in-law was detained, Lubin claimed she immediately questioned her daughter, 31, about what was going on with Harmony.
Reward hits $60K for Harmony Montgomery
Per Crime Online, the reward for a missing girl from New Hampshire who has been missing since 2019 has been raised to $60,000. The US Marshals Service, corporations, law enforcement organizations, and unknown contributors all made monetary promises, according to Manchester police. The United States Marshals Service alone contributed $10,000 to the reward fund.
Harmony was last seen in October 2019 at a residence off of Gilford Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, after a family feud. Adam Montgomery then left with Harmony, according to the girl's uncle, Kevin Montgomery, and cut communication with many family members.
Harmony, according to Kevin Montgomery, "looked like a terrified puppy" the last time he saw her. After the occurrence, it appears that law enforcement and social services did not follow up. According to neighbors, police searched the house for many hours and excavated a trench in the backyard.
Some of the neighbors claimed they had previously complained to municipal officials about the home's poor living conditions, but nothing was done. Harmony was remembered by others as a kind, peaceful girl who never created any difficulties.
Harmony stands roughly 4 feet tall and weighs 50 pounds, according to some description. Her hair is blond, and her eyes are blue. Her right eye is blind, and she should be wearing spectacles. Her most recent pictures were shot when she was five years old. A reward of $43,000 is being offered for information on Harmony's location. Anyone with information is requested to call the 603-203-6060 police tip line.
Related Article: Where Is Harmony Montgomery? Here Are Chilling Details About Missing New Hampshire Girl and Her Parents
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